Joint-masking means for demountable automobile tops



MQ R. HULL JOINT MASKING MEANS FOR DEMOUNTABLE AUTOMOBILE TOPS 1 Feb. 9 1926.

Filed Jan. 2, 1920 Arroz/nen.

latented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNiTso STATES PATENT oFrl-CE. N

MATTHEW R. I-IULL, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TU .REX MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, A

CORORATION OF INDIANA.

JOINT-MASKING MEANS FOR DEMGUNTABLE AUTOMOBILE TOPS.

Application filed January 2, `192i). Serial No. 349,015.

To ZZ whom t may conce-Pn.'

13e it known that I, M.-vrrrrnw R. HULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gonnersville, in the county oi Fayette and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Joint-Masking lifleans it'or l`)emountable Automobile '.lops, ot which the following is a specitication.

This invention relates to certain means for concealing the point formed between the meeting edges of an open vehicle and body and its closed top, being a continuation in part ot my copending application Serial No. 243,302; and the principal object ot the present invention is to provide means for internally and externally masking the joint tormed at the meeting edges ot the vehicle body and its independently ft'orniied closed top, thereby concealing the divisionalcharacter ot the unitary ajipearing structure.

The above mentioned object, and `such others as may appear :troni a perusal ot the lfollowing description, I attain by means ot the construction and arrangement of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, in which-- Figure I is a fragmentary detail perspective view ot the rear portion oia a motor car tonneau and closed top, showing my iinproved joint masking means in operative position. Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary detail perspective view, showing more clearly the means for masking the joint insidethe vehicle. Fig. 3 is a side elevation oi' the construction shown in Fig. 2. Fig. l is a tragmentary detail sectional view, on the line w .in Fig. 3l Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail cross sectional view, on a considerably enlarged scale, showing the arrangement ot the parts adjacent the meeting edges o t' the body and the top. Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the parts near the meeting edges of the body and top, showing a modified torni of the `joint masking means.

Referringto the drawings, lO represents the rear portion of an open automobile body, ll a. demountable top, and l2 one ot the upper door extensions or panels extending up from the door 13 of the permanent body l and closing the door-opening in top ll. The lower edges of top 11 and panels l2 are arranged upon the upper edge ot and in verti alinemcnt with the inner and outer 'faces or' the permanent body 10, in the manner most clearly shown in Fig. 'Icp Il and panels l2 are preferably secured to body l() bymeans of metal strips l'which are ot a width to extend a on both sides ot the. joint formed by the meeting edges of the body and top to admit the attachment of the body by means oit the screws 1G and otv the by means ot the screws 18. Metal strips l are provided with niiunerous elongated slots 2() through which the attaching screws 1G pass, these slotspermitting slight adjustments inv overcoming minor structural variations when'litting the tops and panels into operative position on body 10. As will readily be observed, the Aabove construction not only provides a iirm anchorage for the top and .sideV panels, but provides an easy means whereby Vthe parts which are superim posed upon body may easily be set up or talien down. As it may be desirable to remove top ll and side panels l2 in the spring and replace them in the tall ot the year. strips Yl5 and securing screws 1G oii necessity must be readily accessible. It 'is' desirable, when the demountable top and panels are in operative position, to have the joint formed between the meeting edges-oi' the top, side panels and body, and also strips l5 andV strip-attaching screws hidden from view so as not to mar the interior appearance ofthe body and top, and it is one ot the purposes voit the present invention to completely conceal the joint, metal strips and attaching screws, but leaving said strips and attaching screws readily accessible when necessary. The above object is accomplished by running the interior trimming or upholstery material in body 10 l'roin the floor line 26 upwardly and to the upper edge of said body. The upholstery material 28 extends downwardlytrom the ceiling of top ll and extends suliiciently below the lower edges of side panels 12 to provide flaps 30 oi suflicient length to completely cover and conceal strips 15. The lower edges of tlaps 30 are generally stitched so as to provide a tinish in the nature ot a bead and, as indicated in Fig. l, imparts the idea that instead of a break occurring in the lining a horizontal band or 'rieze extends along the inner sidewalls o3t` the body and top, thereby destroying the extreme plainness of a normally large exposed surface area of upholstery. In order to prevent the tree edgesV of flaps 30 from curling out and keep them in contact with top and panels'V suiiicient distancel the surface of the adjacent .body wall, I provide a number of spring-fastening devices 35. similar to glove fasteners, which are secured to flaps 30, and these kfasteners 35 are adapted to take over the heads of screwsg 36 which are mounted in vand project a slight distance away from the surface of strips 15.

By means of the above construction, it will be seenthat when flaps 30 are fastened down they completely hide strips 15 and attaching` screws so that no part ot' the rough structural frame-work is observable, and at the same time flaps 30 may easily be loosened so as to render the attaching screws in strips 15 readily accessible when it is desired to place the top into or out of operative position.

The open joint formed between the meeting edgesoi the body 10, top 11 and panels 12 is concealed on the external surface 'of the body and top by means of a molding i0 which is secured toor integral with and depends below the lower marginal edges of top 11 andpanels 12 a sulicie-nt distance to conceal the ioint (as shown in Figs. 1 and 5), the molding 40 being removed with the top and panels so as to leave the upper edge of body 10 free of obstructions when top 10 is not in use.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the joint masking molding 40 having rather small dimensional thickness as compared to the width, similar to a band, as distinguished fromthe half-round molding 40 shown in.

Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patentkisi 1. The combination with the lower open section of an automobile body` of a detachable top and upper sid-e section having a bottom rim conforming to theS top rim ot said lower section. said top section having` an external depending'flange in the form of an ornamental bead masking ythe ioint bctween the upper and lower sections externally and a lining for said upper section having a depending apron masking the joint between the upper and lower sections internally.

2. VAn automobile ybody comprising a. perinanent lower section, a demountable upper section having a lower rim conforming to the upper rim of the lower section and having side walls equal in thickness toy those of the lower section, an ornamental outer bead carried by the demountable section and concealing the joint between the sections externally, and a lining'for the demountable section extending downward from the ceiling and concealing the joint between the sections internally, substantially as set forth.

8. 'Ihe combination with the lower open section of an automobile body, of a detachable top section having a frame as thick as and conforming to the rim ot' the lower sec tion, the top section having' a-lining and an external molding both of which extend bclow the frame to form a channel for the rim ot the lower section, and means arranged in said channel to hold said sections connected. n

The combination with the lower open section oit an automobile body, of a detachable top section having a frame as thick as and conforming to the rim of the lower section, said sections being arranged in edgeto-edge relation, and external means and internal means constructed andy arranged to conceal the sectionalcharacter of the coinbination and to present the visual eiiect ot a unitary closed body.

5. The combination with the lower open section of an automobile body, of a detachable top section having .a gbottoin rim conforming to the iop rim `of said lower section. said top section having an external ioint masking molding and a lining ot tici:-

lible sheet material both Idepending); below said bottom rim to form a channel for inclosing said top rim of the lower section, the depending marginal portion of said lining being arranged to cover suiicient-of the internal surface ott` the upstanding walls ot' said vlower section to conceal the jioint bctween the sections internally, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Connersville, Indiana, this 27tliday ot December, A. I). one thousand nine hundred and nineteen.

MATTI-IEVV It. I-IULL. f [1.. s] 

